Sir Roger at Church : Summary

Summary

Love for Sundays: The essay begins with the narrator saying he enjoys Sundays in the country. He believes keeping Sunday holy is important for making people better and kinder. On Sundays, villagers gather at church. They wear clean clothes and talk to each other. It is a time for both prayer and building friendships.

Sir Roger’s Improvements and Leadership: Sir Roger is a good leader and “church-man.” He decorates the church with good texts and donates a pulpit cloth and communion rail. He found his parishioners did not behave well at church. So, he gave everyone a prayer book and a cushion to kneel on. He also hired a singing-master to teach psalm tunes. Now, his church sings better than other country churches.

Sir Roger’s Authority and Habits: Sir Roger owns all the land, so everyone in the church is his tenant. He keeps order in church and only allows himself to sleep during the sermon. If he wakes and sees anyone else sleeping, he wakes them up. He sometimes finishes singing long after everyone else. He says “Amen” loudly many times. He even stands during prayer to count people or check if any tenant is absent.

Friendly Discipline: Sometimes, Sir Roger tells someone to pay attention during service. For example, he calls out John Matthews for being idle. The villagers do not find these actions odd. They respect Sir Roger and think his unique ways show his good heart.

Sunday Routine and Respect: After the sermon, nobody leaves until Sir Roger walks out first. He leaves his seat and walks between rows of tenants, who bow to him. He asks about any absent tenant’s family, which is seen as a gentle scolding.

Rewards for Goodness: Sir Roger gives rewards to boys who answer well in catechism, like a Bible or even bacon for their mothers. He also gives extra salary to the church clerk. He encourages young men to learn church service by promising them the clerk’s job when the old clerk dies.

Peaceful Parish versus Neighboring Feuds: Sir Roger and his chaplain work well together for the parish. This is different from the next village, where the squire and parson always fight. There, the squire never comes to church, and his tenants follow his bad example. The parson says he is better than the squire, and they argue often. 

Impact on the Community: Such fights are bad for common people. Villagers often imitate rich landlords more than wise teachers. If a rich man does not care for religion, common people may also lose respect for it.